Shazam and Spotify Shackup — U.S. Spotify Launch Playing Next?

Shazam, the music discovery service that identifies songs by listening to a tune snippet, takes its magic one step further today with a new Spotify partnership. Users of both services on either the iOS or Android platforms can now leverage Shazam’s software to identify a tune and then hear the full song on their device via a “Play in Spotify” function. The new Shazam feature integrates with the Spotify Premium App, currently available in the UK, Sweden, Norway, Finland, France, Spain and the Netherlands.

In a press release, Shazam says its integration with Spotify is first available in its Shazam Encore application, which is $5.99 at last check. However, the new Spotify feature will arrive in the free version of Shazam later this quarter for both mobile platforms.

It doesn’t quite make sense to me that such a widely popular and available app like Shazam would have Spotify functionality if it was only useful in six countries, unless Spotify was about to flip the switch and let the music play in more places. Shazam claims that 50 million folks have used its service, but there’s surely room for more. Adding new features can help broaden Shazam’s appeal, so it would get more bang for its buck if Spotify likewise broadened its potential geographic user base.